Research Criteria Points

1. 3I of VR Triangle -

• The 3Is of VR: Immersion, Imagination and Interaction. It is only with the combination of the 3I’s working together that VR experiences can be effective.

• Established that a sense of presence, interaction, sensory stimuli, synthetic feedback, haptics, proximity, time to orient, imagination in the form of narrative and design, effective sound and visuals are required to make an immersive VR experience,

• Identified that the use of embodied memories, stop motion and tactile visuals could add an additional element to VR experiences to make them more immersive. 

2. Mental Immersion -

• Immersion is a fundamental part of any VR experience

• Presence theory - Mental immersion -  “presence is currently used to indicate a successful feeling ‘being there in a synthetic environment” 

• Mental immersion is accomplished by creating a sense of presence in the environment. This is achieved by creating a realistic environment in which a user can position themselves and interact with, in a natural way. 

3. Physical Immersion -

• Physical immersion is created through the use of sensory stimuli to the visual, aural and haptic senses and also supplying the necessary sensory feedback.

4. Imagination -

• Imagination - Narrative

• Imagination is achieved through the inclusion of narrative which makes the audience imagine elements of the story, and character interaction which allows the immersant to imagine who the character is and the environment's/experiences design, which allows the immersant to imagine the virtual world is real. 

5. Narrative -

• Narrative links to immersion

6. Haptic Feedback -

• Haptic feedback - interaction - a sense of touch - Haptics are hard to fool” “Seeing is believing, but touching is knowing.” - speed it is processed 

7. Embodied memories -

• Embodied memories - showing touch - visual haptics - haptic/tactile memories

• Findings of dissertation - Embodied memories and haptic/tactile touch have the potential to add a further immersive element to VR experiences, if these are implemented within the experience, not only will it stimulate the senses of the audience, but has the potential to stimulate the immersants own embodied memories. It also brings the physicality of the maker into the experience, because the embodied memory of their touch can be seen within their creation, it potentially could invoke a memory in the immersant and they then become a participant in the experience.  

8. Physical Interaction -

• Physical interaction is created through the inclusion of haptics which allows an immersant to touch objects, affect them, and receive sensory feedback this also helps mental immersion as it verifies the existence of the environment making it feel real.

9. Mental Interaction -

• Mental interaction is achieved through making story decisions which have an effect on the outcomes, and character interaction, where virtual characters acknowledge the immersant’s presence.

VR experiences must create a sense of presence/immersion, this is achieved by:

• include appropriate sensory stimuli and feedback - Visual, aural, haptic 

• use/show the imagination - Have narrative, character interaction

• have a level of interaction - character interaction, purpose, environment interaction, narrative interaction

• Immersion/presence - realistic environment, user situation, user feedback, sensory stimuli, synthetic feedback, orientation time, purpose,